Healthy practices to help you find balance and resilience in your life and at work Mindfulness: INSERT PRESENTER INFO HERE

Defining Mindfulness Origins of Mindfulness MindFUL vs. MindLESS How Mindlessness Hurts our Productivity Benefits of Mindfulness How to Cultivate Mindfulness Mindfulness tips at Work Mindfulness tips for Everyday Life Mindfulness Objectives

Mindfulness means : – Maintaining a moment-by-moment awareness of our thoughts, feelings, bodily sensations, and surrounding environment. Mindfulness also involves : – Acceptance; meaning we pay attention to our thoughts and feelings without judging them—without believing, for instance, that there’s a “right” or “wrong” way to think or feel in a given moment. Defining Mindfulness

“ It’s about living your life as if it really mattered, moment by moment by moment by moment.” - Jon Kabat-Zinn

Originally founded in Buddhist religions, and other Eastern religions, dating as far back as 1500 BC, moved to Western civilizations when it was studied Many people associate it with meditation, yoga, and other similar practices While those practices can still help with mindfulness, it has come a long way as its made its entrance into Western civilizations. Today, there is an enormous body of research that points to the practical and measurable benefits of mindfulness practice–study after study shows that mindfulness in fact makes people less stressed, more productive, happier and healthier Companies like General Mills, BlueCross Blue Shield, Google, and Aetna are promoting and teaching mindfulness to their employees Origins of Mindfulness

Why would corporations want to invest in teaching mindful practices to their employees? In a world focused on productivity, sometimes multitasking causes us to be mind less rather than mind ful … Have you been guilty of these mindless actions……? – Breaking things, spilling things, clumsiness, accidents because of carelessness, inattention or thinking about something else – Forgetting someone’s name as soon as you hear it – Listening to someone with one ear while doing something else at the same time – Eating without being aware of eating – Running on autopilot – Reacting emotionally in certain ways – feeling like an emotion just “came out of nowhere” – Daydreaming or thinking of other things when doing chores – Doing several things at once rather than focusing on one thing at a time MindFUL vs. MindLESS

Research shows that people spend almost 47% of their waking hours thinking about something other than what they’re doing. - Killingsworth and Gilbert, Harvard University

So why is it so hard to be mindful? Why do we struggle to enjoy the moment that we are in? Conditions are never right to be in the present moment (unless you are lucky enough to be on vacation) Think about it, how often are you unable to enjoy the moment you are in? We balance multiple priorities; work, after school activities, taking care of family members, hobbies or social activities, and more We are generally always thinking of something else. We are rarely content with the current moment or situation MindFUL vs. MindLESS cont…

Scientists have terms for some of these mindless behaviors: “Action addiction”: Do you keep glancing at your , social media, or looking at your smart phone? We are constantly chasing short-term wins. We keep ourselves busy chasing details, thereby losing sight of larger goals “Anticipation stress”: – Are you waiting for a call back, good/bad news, to hear if you got the job or if you were approved for a loan? – How hard do you find it to focus and be productive when you are anticipating what's next? MindLESSness cont…

– Mindless behaviors, like multitasking, can actually hurt our productivity – It takes more time to get tasks completed if you switch between them than if you do them one at a time – You make more errors when you switch than if you do one task at a time. – If the tasks are complex then these time and error penalties increase – Studies have shown that practicing mindfulness, even for just a few weeks, can bring a variety of physical, psychological, and social benefits MindLESSness and Multitasking

Research on mindfulness shows it can benefit a variety of areas of our life and in multiple settings – Mindfulness is good for our bodies: A seminal study found that, after just eight weeks of training, practicing mindfulness meditation boosts our immune system’s ability to fight off illness.seminal study immune system’s – Mindfulness is good for our minds: Several studies have found that mindfulness increases positive emotions while reducing negative emotions and stress. Indeed, at least one study suggests it may be as good as antidepressants in fighting depression and preventing relapse.good for our mindsstressdepression – Mindfulness helps us focus: Studies suggest that mindfulness helps us tune out distractions and improves our memory and attention skills. tune out distractionsmemoryattention skills Benefits of Mindfulness

Mindfulness is good for parents and parents-to-be: Studies suggest it may reduce pregnancy-related anxiety, stress, and depression in expectant parents. Parents who practice mindfulness report being happier with their parenting skills and their relationship with their kids, and their kids were found to have better social skills.parentsparents-to-be reduce pregnancy-related anxiety, stress, and depressionParents who practice mindfulness Mindfulness helps schools: There’s scientific evidence that teaching mindfulness in the classroom reduces behavior problems and aggression among students, and improves their happiness levels and ability to pay attention. Teachers trained in mindfulness also show lower blood pressure, less negative emotion and symptoms of depression, and greater compassion and empathy. Mindfulness helps schoolsability to pay attentionTeachers Benefits of Mindfulness cont….

Mindfulness helps veterans: Studies suggest it can reduce the symptoms of Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) in the aftermath of war.veterans Mindfulness fights obesity: Practicing “mindful eating” encourages healthier eating habits, helps people lose weight, and helps them savor the food they do eat.fights obesity Mindfulness enhances relationships: Research suggests mindfulness training makes couples more satisfied with their relationship, makes each partner feel more optimistic and relaxed, and makes them feel more accepting of and closer to one another.enhances relationships Benefits of Mindfulness cont…

You can practice being mindful at home, at work, with your family, while you eat, while you drive, at a meeting, alone or with a loved one Surprisingly, practicing mindfulness does not require you to sit on a floor and meditate in silence (but if you have a manager who encourages you to do so, just go for it!) Your first step is to understand how to be mindful in any given moment where you need it The second step is to practice some simple strategies Take note how these strategies impact how you work and play Remember, mindfulness is simply about being aware in the present moment! How to cultivate Mindfulness at work and home

How to Cultivate Mindfulness Pay close attention to your breathing, especially when you’re feeling intense emotions Notice—really notice—what you’re sensing in a given moment, the sights, sounds, and smells that ordinarily slip by without reaching your conscious awareness Recognize that your thoughts and emotions are fleeting and do not define you, an insight that can free you from negative thought patterns. Tune into your body’s physical sensations, from the water hitting your skin in the shower to the way your body rests in your office chair.

Practice “strategic acceptance”: – Whether you are in a meeting, on a call, or working on a specific task, stop to let go of the emotions around it, and just accept the moment where you are at. Take one minute : – Before a meeting, take one minute to stop and let go of whatever went on in the hour before, let go and turn your focus back to the present meeting. – Before you respond to a co-worker, take one minute to accept any emotions (frustration, aggravation, etc.) and let them go before you respond. – Before you answer the phone or read an take one minute to consider how urgent it is, or if you can continue to focus on the task at hand Mindfulness tips at work

Find a time to unplug; – Try this- for one hour, turn off the notification or turn the ringer off on your phone. Focus on the current priority and allow other times to turn back toward technology When you are at your desk: – Do a full body scan: take a moment to sit up straight, pay close attention to every area of your body, where might you feel tension or stress? Try to ease or relax those muscles Mindfulness tips at work continued…

When you first wake up: – Take a deep breath, try not to judge the day ahead as good or bad, just be present in that moment In your commute: – Pay attention to your surroundings, are there trees around you? Is your favorite song on? Is it sunny outside? In the shower: – Pay attention to the sensations in that moment; the warm water or hot steam. Relax your muscles, you might find it more enjoyable than you once thought Have mindful mornings: ―If you love coffee, this is for you. Sip, enjoy, and take a few minutes to be in the moment before you think about the day ahead Mindfulness tips at home

For parents: ―Hectic mornings can add to the stress before our work day begins, whether it helps to wake up a few minutes early, or pack lunches the night before, try to take even five minutes to just sit with your kids and listen to them and make it a morning habit Be mindful around the dinner table: ―Take a moment, even if its once a week, to each share something you are grateful for “Pause” when you notice anger: ―Whether communicating with kids or spouse or partner, if you notice anger or frustration, vow to take a pause to notice it and make a decision about how you want to respond Mindfulness tips at home continued…

“ Be Present” Safety Briefings – Both of these already ask you to take a moment, notice what is going on around you, and be present. – We practice this in order to make our meetings more meaningful, more purposeful, and to make sure we continue to focus on listening to others, including others, and to have a continued emphasis on safety – Think about how you might make mindful behaviors and actions part of your next meeting, conference call, project, etc. Guess What? We are Already Being Mindful at Caterpillar

Ready to try mindfulness on your own? Or learn more about it? – Free guided mindful meditations: – iPhone and Android apps: worthy-of-your-attention/ worthy-of-your-attention/ – Read about mindfulness and work: Ahead-Performance-Mindfulness/dp/ http:// Ahead-Performance-Mindfulness/dp/ – Tip sheets and articles: Resources for Mindfulness

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